Archives for Climate Change

RadioActive 4/6/17

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Program Topic: President Trump’s Executive Order on Climate and Energy and Environmentalist Split on Metallic Mining in Maine

1) Today, we look at a split between grassroots environmentalists and non-profit environmental groups over legislation that could open Maine to devastating metallic mining ground water pollution.
2). Seven bills are currently before the Maine legislature’s Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources. LD 160 would ban mining outright. LD 253 would repeal a 2012 rule change which negated more protective standards that had been put in place in 1991. Today we look at LD 820, which a number of non-profits have supported, while others in the environmental community reveal would allow substantial and irreversible onsite groundwater pollution by mining companies. The bill sponsor now seeks amendments to the bill for further protection, but it is now in the hands of the Committeee.
3) We also look at President Trump’s sweeping executive order on climate and energy, with Janet Redman, the US policy director from Oil Change International.

Guests:
Janet Redman, US policy director for Oil Change International and Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies.
Lew Kingsbury, activist with Alliance for a Common Good and freelance journalist for The Cryer thecryeronline.com/. Find his article “ Twice Defeated Metallic Mining Rules Faces Third Vote in Legislature”“ in the April edition.

This program was produced in partnership with the Sunlight Media Collective.

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Coastal Conversations 2/24/17

Producer/Host: Catherine Schmitt
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Maine coastal and ocean issues

Program Topic: Salt Marshes

Key Discussion Points:
Salt marshes are valuable habitat
People are working to preserve marshes threatened by sea level rise
Salt marsh sparrows live only in high marsh habitat

Guests
Misha Mytar, Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Jeremy Gabrielson, Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Joseph Kelley, UMaine
Brian Olsen, UMaine
Kate Ruskin, UMaine

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RadioActive 1/19/17

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Planned Disrupt J 20 Inauguration Actions and Discussion on Trump’s Nominees’ Impact on Environment and Climate Change

Key Discussion Points:
1) Reporting from Washington DC, the day before the inauguration of Donald Trump, we look at the protests planned for tomorrow, including the Disrupt J 20 direct action blockades of the inauguration entrances.
2) We also look at what Trump’s nominees to head the EPA, the State Dept, the Dept of Energy and the Dept of Interior could mean for environmental health and climate change.
3) We discuss the urgency of climate change and the need for action.

Guest: Janet Redman, climate justice activist, part of coordinating committee of the climate contingent of Disrupt J 20; policy analyst for Oil Change, in Washington DC

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Coastal Conversations 12/23/16

Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Maine coastal and ocean issues

Program Topic: Waterfront Communities Prepare for Climate Change

Key Discussion Points:
What are some of the impacts of climate change that waterfront communities in Maine are already seeing?
How do these changes, such as sea level rise and increased storm frequency and strength, impact waterfront infrastructure?
What are tools that these municipalities can use to predict and address climate change impacts?

Guests:
Judy East, Washington County Council of Governments
Tora Johnson, University of Maine at Machias
Jennifer Curtis, Maine Floodplain Management Program
Pete Slovinsky, Maine Geological Survey

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RadioActive 11/10/16

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic:
Key Discussion Points: Potential Impacts of Trump Administration on Climate, Energy and Tribal Right; Standing Rock Updates

1) Today we begin to look at the potential impacts of a Trump administration on a number of issues nationally and internationally and how social movements anticipate the work going forward.
2) We speak with the director of the Global Justice Ecology Project about potential policy impacts on climate change, oil and gas development and tribal rights.
3) We also look at the current assault on water protectors at Standing Rock. A solidarity rally will be held at noon on Tuesday at Westmarket Square in Bangor. At the end of the month a Wabanaki delegation will head to Standing Rock to set up members for the winter.

Guests:
Anne Petermann, Global Justice Ecology Project, globaljusticeecology.org/
Sherri Mitchell, Penobscot, indigenous rights attorney, facebook.com/sacredinstructions/info

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RadioActive 10/6/16

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: A New Study on Carbon Dioxide Emissions Mitigation Goals and Climate Action at Court Date for Clean Power Plan

Key Discussion Points:
1) Today we speak with the co-author of a new study showing the inadequacy of planned measures for the US to meet their internationally promised carbon dioxide emissions targets to fight climate change.
2) Last week, the US Circuit Court of Appeals in DC heard arguments in a suit aimed to stop the US EPA from implementing the so-called “Clean Power Plan” under the Clean Air Act. The plan is designed to reduce the power sector’s carbon emissions to 32% below 2005 levels. 27 states and a number of coal companies are suing the EPA to stop the plan.
3) Today we speak with Dawn Neptune Adams, who was on a delegation with the People’s Action Network to DC to participate in related climate actions with her daughter.

Guests:
Max Lei, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, co-author of study “Assessment of the Climate Commitments and Additional Mitigation Policies of the United States”, published in Nature Climate Change
Dawn Neptune Adams, Penobscot Tribe, Peoples Action Network delegate to DC

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Maine Currents 4/20/16

Producer/Editor/Host: Amy Browne
Engineer: Denis Howard
Audio recorded by Matt Murphy

In celebration of Earth week, today we talk with Peter Neill of the World Ocean Observatory about his new book, The Once and Future Ocean: Notes Toward a New Hydraulic Society . Neill is the host of the weekly short feature “World Ocean Radio” which has aired here on WERU every Wednesday morning at 7:30 for several years. He is also the founder and director of the World Ocean Observatory
FMI: worldoceanobservatory.org/

But first we kick things off with a short montage of poetry from the “Poets Respond to Climate Change” event, at the Reversing Falls Sanctuary in Brooksville last month (recorded by Matt Murphy). In order we’ll hear from: Margaret Brooks, Maira Vandiver, MacKenzie Tapley, Henry Finch, Hattie Fitzpatrick, Emily Eisenhauer, Ed Conte, Brooke Wentworth and Anne Ferrara

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